Roof penetrating closure structures and systems

Abstract

The invention provides an environment-accessing structure for providing environmental access to the interior of a building through an aperture in the roof. The environment-accessing structure can provide natural day-lighting by use of a skylight lens as the closure member, or a smoke vent which can be opened and closed. Such smoke vent can be transparent or translucent to natural sunlight, or can be opaque. Such environment-accessing structure is installed in an aperture in a metal roof. The system limits opportunity for water leakage from the outside environment. The environment-accessing structure includes a rail and closure structure adapted to be supported by adjacent rib elevations of adjacent roof panels, a closure panel adapted to be supported on the rail and closure structure, and a diverter which seals a cut away portion of the rib structure and diverts water laterally away from the rail and closure structure.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation-In-Part patent application Ser. No. 12 / 572,176, filed Oct. 1, 2009 now abandoned, which is Non-Provisional Application of Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 102,333, filed Oct. 2, 2008, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein, in their entireties.COPYRIGHT NOTICE[0002]A portion of disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files and records, but otherwise reserves all other copyright rights.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The field of the invention is skylights and skylight systems.[0005]2. Description of Related Art[0006]Various systems are known for installing skylights and / or smoke vents into roofs.[0007]The most commonly use...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a curbless construction system for installing skylights and other environment-accessing structures on a metal roof. The system includes a rail and closure structure that is fastened to the roof's metal roof panels, allowing the skylight or other closure to move with the expansion and contraction of the roof. The system utilizes the strength of the roof's ribs to support the skylight or other closure, and a diverter is used to direct water away from the closure. The invention provides a fast and efficient solution for adding skylights and other environmental access to roofs.

Problems solved by technology

The retrofitting of such curb systems into existing roof structure is problematic in that all known conventional structures have a strong tendency to leak water when it rains due to installation details and complexities that are affected by installation, technologies or workmanship.

These curbs create multiple opportunities for water to enter the interior of the building, due to multiple curb locations and the widths of the curbs, as well as presenting the challenge to effectively seal the roof at the high ends of such curbs.

The traditional curb constructions and methods of attachment in most cases require a complicated support structure to be installed below the roof panel which can restrict movement associated with thermal expansion and contraction of the overlying metal roof due to temperature changes and the like.

None of the prior approaches have been able to provide an installation system for multiple skylights which accomplishes the goals of economy and simplicity of installation and which works equally well for new buildings and as retrofits in existing buildings.

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